Water tank - what's the right tool?

[bgary]

I'd like to clean out a water tank or two, and the inspection cover on top of each tank is a plastic (and probably brittle) cap with four small lugs around the perimeter.

Somewhat like this:


It is... uh... resisting attempts to get it to move.

Although it's tempting to put a delrin rod against one of the lugs and tap it until it turns, there's got to be a better way.

What's the right tool to use here, in order to get the thing open without breaking off any lugs?

Bruce

 

[u079721]

I would suggest using a strap wrench on the cap, along with gentle heating with a heat gun on the threads.

 

[bgary]

strap wrench

No joy. The tank cap itself is accessed through an 8" inspection port. No way to get a strap wrench down onto the same plane as the lid, I need something I can apply from above.

 

[bolbmw]

Something like a 3 leg wrench may work if you can find one large enough and can get it tight enough.

 

[mfield]

Something like a 3 leg wrench

That's a very cool tool. Is the cap too large for a basin wrench?

 

[bgary]

Is the cap too large for a basin wrench?

Probably. I haven't measured but I'm going to guess it's 3-1/2" in diameter (plus the lugs)

Current thinking is that I can craft a 2-leg version of the 3-leg tool, using a length of scrap metal and a couple of appropriately-spaced hex-heads.

 

[bgary]

Epilogue

Turns out one of these worked just great.